We want to remind all members that the elections for the positions of Trustee, General Secretary, and various NEC posts opens on the 25th January. These elections come at a crucial time for the Union and it is fair to say that there are quite distinct approaches amongst the various candidates that could have a significant impact on the future of our campaigns and approach to industrial action. We strongly encourage all members to engage in this election period. A number of colleagues have expressed concerns that decisions taken at a national level do not represent their views as members. This is your opportunity to shift that dynamic and to exercise your power as a member of UCU.
When approaching the UCU elections, many members are unaware of the factional politics that can sometimes influence the decision-making process. Factionalism within UCU is not new or unique and can provide positive benefits – in terms of understanding the position of candidates on important issues – as well as sometimes frustrating the wider work of the Union. The UCU UEA Committee does not take a position on any faction within UCU, but we do feel it is important that members understand what is meant when candidates align themselves with one of these groups. There are currently three named factions within UCU which operate in quite different ways and have (in some areas) very different views on how we should secure the future of UCU and the sector. You can find information about these factions towards the end of this page.
General Secretary Elections
Elections for General Secretary happen every five years and there are four candidates in this election cycle. The four candidates (alphabetically by surname) and their manifestos are linked below:
Vicky Blake, University of Leeds
Jo Grady, Current GS and formerly of University of Sheffield
Ewan McGaughey, Kings College London
Sara Weiner, Liverpool John Moores University
We are struggling to find a date for a regional hustings for all GS candidates, so members interested in hearing from all of the candidates should sign up for the national hustings, which takes place on the 1st February, 12:30-14:00. Details of how to sign up should be circulated by the national office soon and you can submit a question using this form.
Vice President Elections
The Vice Presidential Election can be a bit confusing as the Union takes it in turns to elect a member from FE and HE. This year the candidate must come from FE, but all members are able to vote in the Vice Presidential elections and the new role holder will make decisions that impact all of the Union. UCU has four presidential positions, with each candidate making their way from Vice-President to President-Elect to President to Immediate Past-President. This means that whomever is elected this year will serve as a national officer of the Union in various roles for four years. Consequently, it is very important that all members vote in this year’s elections. In this election round there are two candidates:
Peter Evans, Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College
David Hunter, City College Norwich
Members wanting to find out more from the candidates should attend the VP hustings, which take place on the 6th February, 16:00-17:00. You can submit questions for the candidates using this form and details on how to register will be circulated by the national office soon.
National Executive Committee Elections
There are a number of posts up for election to the NEC, so we won’t detail them all here. Members will be able to vote for the five seats given to the London and East region in HE and the five members that are elected on a UK-wide basis. Members can also vote for the three HE Representatives of women members. The number of positions available for election in this cycle could fundamentally shift the power dynamics within UCU, resulting in very different paths for escalating (or not) our national disputes over the coming year.
For those not familiar with how the national bodies of UCU work, NEC is the body that sets policy for the whole of UCU, including members from HE, FE, Adult Education, and Prison Education. It is different to HEC, which is only for HE members and is the body that has set specific policy around our most recent industrial action. Whilst responsible for a broader remit, NEC makes a number of decisions that have significant implications for our specific campaigns in HE, including decisions relating to strategy, funding, and resources.
Many members running for the NEC are aligned with one of the factions within UCU, but many also claim no official affiliation. Other candidates are endorsed by particular factions, but do not themselves claim to be aligned with them/their goals. There are no hustings for NEC candidates, but you will find their election addresses in your voting pack and some will have additional content online/as part of their faction’s website. Again, we encourage all members to engage with this content and make informed decisions based on how they want UCU to act in the near and longer term future.
Factions within UCU: Who are they and what do they stand for?
To help members who are less familiar with the three main factions currently existing within UCU, we’ve generated very short summaries below. We have tried to present these in a factual way, but this does mean that our commentary is limited. We’d encourage any member more interested in a particular faction/it’s ideas to engage with the content linked below. All three of these groups have blog posts and/or other commentary on their websites which address their positionality within UCU, their vision for its future, and their relation to other groups within the Union.
UCU Left
One of the oldest remaining factions within UCU. This group is highly organised and centralised, with members paying a separate levy to UCU Left that has its own internal hierarchy that is elected by members on a regular basis. UCU Left candidates often take positions that call for continued and sustained industrial action (including calls for indefinite action last academic year). They have been highly critical of decisions taken in last year’s campaign, namely the pause taken in the Feb/March action and call for a swift return to industrial action on pay in the upcoming round. You can find more information about UCU Left on their website. UCU Left’s candidate for General Secretary is Sara Weiner and they have run a full slate for NEC positions with an election launch .
UCU Commons
This faction emerged during the 2018 industrial action and was initially closely aligned with Jo Grady’s candidacy for General Secretary. They are less centrally organised than UCU Left and candidates are not required to vote according to factional lines (although they must subscribe to a set of values). They are no longer associated with Jo Grady, but have tended to support actions taken/strategy proposed by the general secretary in recent years. UCU Commons candidates are often in favour of industrial action, but have posed questions about the coherence of our recent strategy and backed calls for a period of reassessment and the generation of a longer term strategy. You can find more information about UCU Commons on their website. UCU Commons candidates have endorsed Jo Grady for GS and have six candidates for NEC roles.
The Campaign for UCU Democracy
Members aligned to this group explicitly reject the idea that they are a “faction”, but have nevertheless coalesced around a number of shared ideals in a way not dissimilar to UCU Commons. They are steadfastly opposed to UCU Left’s influence over the Union and contain members who both agree and oppose work being done by members within UCU Commons. Those involved with the CUCUD advocate for a much more conservative approach to industrial action that would require significantly higher levels of member density before any future action is called. You can find more information about the CUCUD on their website. The CUCUD have endorsed Jo Grady for GS and some candidates for NEC have explicitly aligned themselves with the group/campaign.